The Dragon of the West
by ToriMc
Summary: General Iroh lost everything at the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Drinking his life away in a bar seems like a good idea until he meets a broken goddess doing the same thing. She'll take him on the adventure of lifetime and he'll teach her that there's more to life than death.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: I'd like to start of by saying several things. 1) This will be worked on in between other stories when the other stories just aren't flowing for me. 2) Yes this is a God character OC, however she has her own story and is in fact the main character of a book I'm writing - slowly but ya know it's still writing and I have the plot down.

3) This is not my usual style of writing and **this will get downright raunchy and lewd**. Not necessarily between Sophia - the OC - and General Iroh but realize that Sophia's culture is different and sex is a major part of it.

. . .

Yet again, don't read if you get grossed out by lewdity or blood and guts

. . .

. . .

Ba Sing Se did not fall but Lu Ten did. The Great General Iroh retreated, taking the Fire Nation Army back home, away from the Earth Kingdom capitol city. The ports are full of tired soldiers going back home, most didn't even see battle. The ones that did - the ones that survived - have a hollow look about them, their eyes never quite seeing and they jump at every loud sound. General Iroh is hardly any different. He doesn't see the world around him but he doesn't jerk around scared at noises, he just sits there, numb to the world. It wasn't battle that broke him though.

. . .

**Day 23**

A man with smooth straight brown hair and a combed beard sits at the bar nursing his third drink. A golden flame rats atop his head. Attendees and even some soldiers come up to him giving him their condolences and he nods to them, maybe he even says a word or two before turning away. He doesn't really want to speak with any of them, he doesn't care what they have to say. What could they say that would make it better? Nothing! Nothing could bring his son back. He doesn't want to hear about how many soldiers have gone home that day or how many more are left. He doesn't want to hear about supply lines or casualties or anything related to war. He doesn't even want to hear about what little family he has left.

A woman with dark gold hair tied into a long braid and a nasty scar running the length of her face sits in the corner. Occasionally soldiers glance at her, they've never seen gold hair before but perhaps it's just a trick of the light after all it is dark. No one wants to talk to her though, no one with a scar like that should be bothered. The server keeps her drinks coming.

. . .

**Day 27**

General Iroh doesn't care what day it is. He doesn't care that they need more ships to get everyone home before it starts getting cold. He doesn't care at all. He just wants the pain to stop.

. . .

**Day 30**

It's been a month since his son's death and it doesn't hurt any less now than it did then. His heart aches and there's an empty chasm in his chest where his emotions used to be. Nothing matters anymore and each time someone asks when he'll be going home he has to wonder where home is. What's left for him there? He has a throne, but what is a throne without an heir? Besides, the very thought of moving, of putting forth effort just makes him dive further into his fire whiskey.

. . .

**Day 34**

His son is dead. His father is dead. His throne is gone. Even Princess Ursa is gone. His psychotic brother now has the throne. General Iroh doesn't leave his room that day.

Sophia sits at the bar staring down at her drink, running her fingers along the lip changing it into something stronger. Her dead green eyes look up, scanning the area for one of the many women who have rooms on the next floor.

. . .

**Day 36**

Along with the news that his father is dead and his brother Ozai sits on the throne came the news that the war isn't quite as over as they thought. Ba Sing Se was supposed to fall but even if it didn't it wasn't really necessary. Ba Sing Se doesn't send out troops and it's only the capitol in name. Enough of the Earth Kingdom has been taken over that the Fire Nation has no real need to send out more troops. The Fire Nation controls most of the world's resources now. Ozai however apparently wants to extend the war. That bloodthirsty son of a bitch won't end the war, he won't stop the bloodshed and he wants to redeploy most of the troops that haven't already gone home. There are more soldiers, young boys mostly, in the bar today. They'll be in battle before the month is over. Iroh cries not only for himself but for all the parents that will loose their children soon and drinks for each one of them that night.

In a room above the bar a young woman's face is buried between Sophia's thighs, Sophia's nails digging into the back of her head grinding her against bone until the girl has to pull back, gasping for breath. The woman on the bed growls without thinking, the scar that bisects her face pulling at her lips.

"Sorry."

Sophia sighs, "It's fine. Can you handle more?" The girl nods. Her client is odd, but at least she's courteous and stops whenever any of the girls shows distress and doesn't push them further than they want to go. She also pays well and for all of that none of the girls mind the scars that cross her body or the distant look in her eyes when they wake up in the middle of the night. "Good," The woman takes another long chug out of a flask, "Get on your hands and knees."

. . .

**Day 42**

It doesn't take long for the men to get redeployed. By now most of them are gone and the port town is attempting to return to normal. A few men are left and they tactfully ignore the man who has by now become a fixture at the bar. His hair no longer shines and his beard is beginning to fray. He's stopped combing it in the mornings, after all who cares? Most of his men are gone and there's no one left to keep up appearances for. There's no reason to try anymore.

. . .

**Day 55**

General Iroh's crown collects dust on his bedside table. His robes are stained and he sits at the bar all day alone until he drinks himself to sleep late at night and starts it over in the morning. No one speaks to him, not even the bartender who only refills his glass, pity growing in the server's eyes. He wakes up, he pisses, he eats, he drinks, he pisses, he drinks, he drinks, he drinks, he pisses, he pukes, he passes out. Those are his days and he doesn't even know how many of them like it there have been.

To him time has stopped. It stopped the moment he saw Lu Ten's broken body and he doesn't think it will ever start again.

Sophia sits at the bar looking at the man with the disheveled clothes and dead eyes but doesn't see him. Occasionally she touches the scar that runs through her lips or repositions her arms, rubbing her shoulders gingerly. She goes through ten drinks this way before jerking up and wandering back upstairs to forget her problems yet again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 60**

"Prince - uh General Iroh, sir?"

"Hmm?" Iroh looks down into his seventh, no eighth, cup of fire whiskey.

"Is there someone you want to come get you? You've been here a long time." The bartender is nervous even asking but this great man is falling apart before his eyes and he doubts anyone in the royal family would want word of this to get too far.

"No. There's no one left," Iroh mutters. He doesn't tighten his grip anymore and he doesn't cry anymore. He just sits there.

The bartender sighs and puts a hand on the man's shoulder, "Sir -"

"I'm not going anywhere." The general swipes the hand off of him, weak fire trailing behind his hand. He grabs a bottle of the whiskey and stumbles off to his room, almost falling multiple times. He closes the door behind him and sinks down staring numbly at the world around him. The maid does a good job he notes, there are no bottles of pee from the days he won't leave his room. All the puke is cleaned up and it doesn't even smell like hell though it does smell bad. He raises the bottle to his lips, not even tasting the burning. All his tears have been used up and so he just sits there.

. . .

Two doors down Sophia takes another pull from a bottle, not anything they have at the bar but something of her own. The kick keeps her going and the view doesn't hurt. There's always been something about watching someone squirm in anticipation and hesitation that's always gotten to her. It's easy to throw herself into it, throw herself out of her head and into watching the naked girl tied to the bedposts twitch, her legs tied behind her head. Sophia could continue to caress and lick and nibble but no, there's a reason this girl is here this time, she's the one who's willing to go the farthest, the one who enjoys the pain. She runs her lips along the girl's silky inner thigh before grinning wickedly.

. . .

Someone knocks but doesn't wait for a reply before barging into General Iroh's room and bowing. "Prince Iroh," the woman's voice is sweet and sugary, pulling his eyes up from his contemplation of the floor to her face. She's pretty, petite with long black hair tied high and bangs that accent her amber eyes.

"Huh?"

"I'm worried about you." The woman steps forward.

"Do I know you?"

"No, but I know of you Prince Iroh." She slides onto the bed behind him, long fingers finding the knots in his shoulders, slipping his robe down in the process.

"What are you doing?" Iroh moves away but she follows him.

"You need to relax sir. That's what I'm here for." Her dress falls open with her movement and Iroh stiffens.

"I'm not interested." Again the general tries to move away but she doesn't let up.

"Oh, I'm sure you are," she purrs, a hand finding it's way to his crotch. Iroh jumps, knocking his bottle over and her off of him.

. . .

A short scream shatters Sophia's focus and her head jerks towards the noise. It's one of the girls - one of her girls. She pulls her hand out of the other woman causing a groan for more but Sophia is already on her feet. A snap of her fingers and the ropes fall down, leaving the woman free but frustrated.

The blonde marches towards the source of the scream, slamming the door open to reveal a man with disheveled hair standing by the window his robe open and fire at his fists. A woman, one of the best prostitutes there, lies on the floor clutching her dress, a sleeve burnt. She looks at the man wide eyed, but reaches out trying to calm him. Sophia on the other hand doesn't bother with that. It takes a millisecond for her to cross the room and have the man pinned against the glass, her forearm across his throat. "What the fuck do you think you're doing, you little shit?"

He gasps for air, clawing and even bending at her unforgiving arm. "Please, please!" She releases his throat but slams him against the window one more time before letting him speak. It takes a moment of massaging his throat before he talks, "I didn't mean to hurt her, she wouldn't stop." He looks at the woman who now stands in the corner of the room and tears spring to his eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry." He reaches out but only ends up covering his face and sinking onto the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry."

Sophia watches, unable to take her eyes off the man and his shaking shoulders. She crouches in front of him, her own facade cracking at the sight in front of her. "Just leave me alone," he sobs, "please just leave me alone."

"Being alone makes it worse." He looks up at her, golden eyes meeting green.

"I'm not interested in fucking you."

She cocks an eyebrow. "I never said I was interested in you."

"You're naked."

"So?" She looks down at herself. She can't see them all but she knows each of the scars. The one on her face trails down her neck, meeting itself high on her ribs under her left armpit. Another one cuts her right arm and breast off from the rest of her. There's one around her hips, dipping low on her left side but nearly reaching her ribs on the right. Before her nudity would have been a dare or a statement but now she just wants to cover up and so she does, standing up and walking back to her room. Iroh can see the scar across her left butt cheek as she leaves.

. . .

**Day 61**

Iroh sits at the bar, not drinking his usual amount but instead picking up the bottle, setting it to his lips then putting it down after hardly drinking anything. He can't think straight and the fire whiskey just tastes off, it's all off today. How long has he been there not doing anything just drinking? How long has he been here, his hair getting matted and his clothes stained?

. . .

A woman, Hui, sits on the bed mat braiding Sophia's long hair. She's asked about the color before but each time she's met with a shrug and an 'it's normal where I'm from' but not much more. Hui twirls the braid between her fingers, looking at the woman who has shared her bed for the past few months but has only once asked for sex and paid extravagantly for it afterwards. Sophia woke up sweaty and scared again this morning and it took a bath and some of her personal stash of alcohol to calm her. Even now her shoulders are tense and no amount of Hui's rubbing changes that.

Eventually Sophia grabs the hand that traces patterns over her many scars and turns towards her companion, cupping her face delicately. Hui smiles into her palm. Sophia leans forward, peppering the other woman with light kisses from her fingertips to her earlobe and sweetly on her lips which move easily against hers. The blonde sighs, almost happily and positions her head in Hui's lap. "So, what's the plan for today?"

The answer hardly ever changes, Sophia hardly leaves the building and never leaves the town but still Hui likes to ask. "I'll drink, I'll probably fuck Meng or Chang if they want to and then come back, drink some more, and perhaps you can finish telling me about Agni."

Finally the question that's been eating away at Hui escapes her lips, "Why not me?" Sophia opens her eyes in surprise and even sits up. "You pay me but you never even try to have sex with me. We fucked once, that was it."

Sophia's brow furrows in confusion. "I thought you didn't like sex," she states.

"What, wait, really?"

"Yeah, I had a friend like that." Sophia stops and looks to the side before continuing, "She'd do it but never really enjoy it all that much, it just wasn't that great for her. You remind me a lot of her, especially when it comes to sex and the way you'd look off into space during it."

"I thought I was very convincing!"

"You were, but I've been at this a long time. I can tell the differences." Sophia takes a swig of a nearby bottle and shrugs.

"Well, thank you then for not asking me to, I just was worried that you weren't satisfied last time is all."

Sophia nods, "I understand but no, you were good." She sets her head back down on Hui's legs, "I could get you a different job, far away from here where you'd never have to sleep with anyone you didn't want to."

Hui runs her finger through the gold bangs. "I'll think about it." They fall into companionable silence Hui thinking of a life beyond the brothel and Sophia thinking of the life she left behind. Her fingers twitch almost of their own accord, trying to latch onto a trigger. She jerks up, rubbing her hands together to get rid of the sensation. Her companion is used to the suddens shifts and calmly waits for Sophia to lay her head back down but instead she stands and paces around the room like an animal in a cell. She can't just stay here, she can't ignore it all forever. If she could just distract herself, do anything to get her mind off of the twitching of her fingers and the energy running angrily through her.

A thought strikes her, a new distraction hopefully. "That man from yesterday, who was he?"

. . .

The bartender keeps shooting him odd looks. It could be because of the incident yesterday or because Iroh hasn't consumed nearly as much as usual. Either way, Iroh doesn't care. A hand touches his shoulder lightly and the man flinches, turning around to see a beautiful woman with sultry dark eyes opening her mouth to speak. He beats her to it, tiredly explaining, "I didn't mean to do that yesterday, I'm sorry. I know you guys probably want me out, but it wasn't my fault."

The woman, not the one who was knocked to the ground yesterday but the one who had been tied to the bed in the other room scoffs, "I don't care about that. I'm just here to tell you that Sophia's summoned you."

"Sophia?"

"Tall woman, lots of scars, gold hair, I'm sure you've seen her." The shift in attitude in the workers from respect for General Iroh to blunt familiarity is painfully obvious after yesterday and the woman talking is a prime example. She speaks to him without even bowing first, something that would have been unheard of when he first arrived.

"Yeah but what does she want?" He fails to mention that he met her by being slammed against the wall by her.

The woman shrugs, "I don't know, I just know you need to get upstairs now. I doubt she'd like to be kept waiting."

Iroh draws himself up to his full height, trying to give off some sense of dignity and power, "I am a prince of the Fire Nation I will not be ordered around."

"You look more like a bum than a prince right now, _your highness_."

His jaw tightens, but after a moment the fight leaves him. She's right. His clothes are stained and he's pretty sure the little holes in them are from moths. His hair is a mess and he probably reeks. He sighs and picks up the bottle from the counter before following the woman upstairs. They go past his room and to the room at the end of the hall. It smells like flowers and the windows are open wide. Light shines in, reflecting off the scars of the only woman in the room who lounges about, propped up on pillows on her bed. Her eyes dig into him, not leaving him from the moment he enters the room. For a moment he's a child again and wondering what in the world he's done this time.

Eventually she motions for him to sit beside her and she hands him a flask. "Don't tell them I said this but the beer here is absolute shit."

He simply raises an eyebrow and accepts though he doesn't drink. "So what do you want?"

"I told you yesterday, being alone makes it worse."

Iroh laughs bitterly, "As if you know what I'm going through."

"More than you realize." Sophia states.

He looks over at her, yet again taking in the scar the cuts through her face, tugging at her lips. He sighs and takes a swig from the flask. She takes a gulp from her own and they sit there, not saying anything only rarely taking drinks though Sophia drinks considerably more. Iroh wonders about the strange woman but more than that he thinks about his son. His mind is beginning to clear and oh how he misses his little boy! He downs the rest of the flask to try and forget.

. . .

**Day 68**

They sit together in the afternoons. They've covered the basics, his name is Iroh hers is Sophia, he's from the Fire Nation she's not, he drinks to forget and she sticks her head between people's legs to forget. He drinks less when they're together, having someone expecting at least a little conversation from him does that. He spends more time looking at the bottle than before, thinking about his little boy. She keeps her clothes on when he's around and ends up looking out the window, lost in thought. She can still feel the heat from the explosions when the sun shines in just the right angle but part of her relishes it, she can't forget the pain, it's the only way to pay respect to the people she killed.

Sometimes Hui sits with them. Occasionally Meng will sit with them after a morning with Sophia. She and Hui tried to discuss politics once but it ended with Iroh crying and Sophia breaking a bottle from accidentally squeezing too tight. Hui drinks tea which Sophia despises but Iroh finds a simple pleasure in it. It doesn't take long to fall into a routine but there's too much time between drinks and too much time to think when they're together.


End file.
